Chapter 3: Irregular Stone-Taking Games

​１

​“Shuuto, let’s go to the Recreation Room!” Luxuria chirped the moment classes ended for the day.

​“Sure,” he replied.

​“Yay!”

​The Recreation Room was a designated free space for gaming. There were five of them in total, each one sprawling and spacious. They were stocked with everything the academy could provide: standard playing cards, board games, video games, and even original titles controlled by magic. Students were free to use them as they pleased.

​Gathering there after school to engage in Free Battles was the standard daily routine for students at Valhalla Academy.

​Since transferring the previous week,  had checked the place out a few times and even participated in some Free Battles—initially with Sakura or Luxuria, and eventually with students he didn’t know. His win rate had been… less than stellar.

​Though Shuuto didn’t participate in such stakes, some students gambled their VP on these games. When VP was on the line, the results influenced their next Compatibility Rate test—though not as heavily as Official Matches—so they tended to play with deadly seriousness.

​“Wait. I’m coming too,” Sakura said, falling into step behind them.

​“Oh, Sakura-chan! Good work today~” Luxuria sang.

​“‘Good work’ nothing. You don’t need to be clinging to my brother even after school is over.”

​“But I’m his slave! ♪” Luxuria announced loudly.

​She made the scandalous claim without a hint of shame. Shuuto didn’t even blink; he was used to it by now. The rest of the classmates didn’t react either, having seemingly accepted that “this is just how things are.” Or perhaps they had simply given up on them.

​“Sakura-chan, don’t you have better things to do than follow us to the Recreation Room?” Luxuria teased. “You should be out there crushing opponents and grinding for VP.”

​“I’m here to monitor the dangerous pest clinging to him. You two played that disgusting game the other day, didn’t you? I’m here to make sure you don’t try it again.”

​“We’re not doing that again,” Shuuto cut in. Sakura and Luxuria were mid-bicker, but he made sure to shut that idea down firmly.

​“Aww, come on, let’s play! I taught Sakura-chan how it works, so we can do it with the three of us this time!” Luxuria pleaded, wriggling her body suggestively.

​“There’s no way Sakura would ever play a game like that.”

​“Exactly,” Sakura agreed. “I think any brother who would do something like that is the absolute worst.”

​Urgh.

​Shuuto took massive psychic damage from her words.

​“I-In the first place, that’s a game that requires magic. Sakura can’t play it anyway…”

​“Actually, even in this academy, you can play magic-based games. Look at this,” Luxuria said, pulling out her smartphone.

​“If you write the rules into this app and submit a request to the academy, they’ll set up a system that allows it. These phones we were given at enrollment are actually Magic Tools. If you install and run an app made by the academy, you can even run games that utilize magic. Which means the Massage Game has already been implemented as an app!”

​The academy was terrifyingly convenient.

​“Wait, Sakura-chan, why haven’t you installed the app yet?”

​“I wouldn’t play a game that lewd if my life depended on it!”

​“Eeeh? But you could play it with your Big Brother!”

​“I-I’m not doing that!”

“Like hell we would!”

​Sakura and Shuuto shouted in unison, their faces turning bright red.

​Shuuto had inadvertently imagined Sakura in the context of that game. He writhed in a mix of embarrassment and guilt.

​“Ahaha, you’re in sync! ♪ You two are as close as ever.”

​Dammit, she’s totally playing us.

​While they were busy chatting, they arrived at the Recreation Room wing—the area where the various rooms were located. Since it didn’t really matter which one they used, the three of them stepped into the nearest one, Recreation Room 1.

​“Huh?” Luxuria let out a confused sound.

​There were almost no games being played inside the room. Instead, a large crowd had gathered around a single table.

​“What’s going on?” she asked a male student nearby.

​“Oh… things are getting pretty interesting,” he replied with a smirk.

​Shuuto peered through a gap in the crowd toward the table. Two female students were seated opposite each other at a square table.

​One was Felicia Ruth—the girl who had tried to force Luxuria to join as her subordinate the other day. She wore a look of supreme confidence, gazing down at her opponent with blatant condescension.

​He didn’t recognize the other girl.

​She was short with a baby face, giving her an overall youthful impression, though she was remarkably well-endowed. Being a teenage boy, Shuuto’s eyes were momentarily drawn there before he hurriedly looked away in a panic. Her long hair looked a bit unkempt, and she radiated a gentle, somewhat dazed aura.

​“That’s Kagura Kamino from Class 1-B,” Sakura noted.

​“You know her?”

​“No. She’s just famous in her own way. Her Compatibility Rate is one percent… the lowest in the entire grade.”

​Felicia was supposedly one of the top-ranked students.

​So, this was a Free Battle between the top and the very bottom.

​A third girl stood between them, presumably acting as the dealer. In the center of the table sat a cute, floral-patterned drawstring bag.

​“Well then, it is your turn,” Felicia said, gesturing with her chin.

​“…”

​Following the prompt, Kagura thrust her hand into the bag. She pulled it out, clutching a single marble, which she placed on the table. Then she reached in again and pulled out a second.

​“Two marbles. Very well, my turn.”

​Felicia reached into the bag and withdrew two marbles of her own.

​“Two,” she said, placing them on the table.

​“…A stone-taking game, huh?” Shuuto muttered.

​As the name suggested, a stone-taking game—or Nim—involved players taking stones from a pile in turns. Usually, there was a limit to how many you could take at once—say, one to three—and the person who took the final stone lost.

​With a little thought, it was clear that if the total number of stones was known, there was a mathematical way to guarantee a win.

​For example, if the limit was one to three stones…

​If the total number of stones was a multiple of four plus one, the second player was guaranteed to win. If the total was anything else, the first player was guaranteed to win.

​If the total was a multiple of four plus one, the second player just had to ensure that the sum of the stones taken by the opponent and themselves always equaled four. By reducing the pile by four each round, only one stone would eventually remain, which the first player would be forced to take.

​For instance, if there were thirteen stones (12 + 1) and the first player took one, twelve remained. If the second player then took three, nine remained—which was back to a multiple of four plus one. By repeating this… one stone would always be left for the first player.

​If the total was anything else, the first player would simply take enough stones on their first turn to leave a total that was a multiple of four plus one. After that, they just had to ensure each round’s sum was four. It was essentially the same strategy, just starting from the first turn.

​It wouldn’t be surprising for anyone familiar with games to know the winning strategy for Nim. In a game where a perfect strategy exists and both players know it, the actual “play” value drops to zero. It’s like Tic-Tac-Toe; people stop playing it as they get older because it always ends in a draw—and games that have a guaranteed winner are just as boring.

​Shuuto wondered why a crowd would gather to watch something like this, but…

​“It’s not a normal stone-taking game,” one of the male students explained. “The marbles are in that bag, so neither player knows the total count. The dealer decides the number of stones for every round. Apparently, there’s a magic field that restricts your sense of touch when you reach into the bag, so you can’t tell how many are left by feel. That’s why they have to pull them out one by one to count.”

​I see. So that’s how they’ve made it a real game.

​It sounded like it would rely heavily on luck, but as long as there was randomness involved, it wouldn’t be entirely dull.

​“Well, it’s not so much the game that’s interesting… as it is how she’s losing.”

​Shuuto almost shouted when he saw the VP amount displayed on the table.

​“Negative five million…?!”

​It appeared to be Kagura’s total losses.

​“It’s brutal. She’s just this dazed girl who keeps betting exactly what she’s told… and she hasn’t won a single time.”

​“Not once? But with these rules, it’s basically a game of chance, right?”

​“You’d think so… but maybe when your Compatibility Rate is only one percent, even luck abandons you?” the male student snickered.

​So that was it. They were all gathered here to enjoy the sight of a weak player getting systematically demolished.

​It left a bad taste in Shuuto’s mouth.

​２

​(This girl… she is more than just a simple mark.)

​Even Felicia Ruth was beginning to feel unsettled. Many had lost to her in gambling games before; Felicia was, after all, a skilled player. But it was rare to see someone sink this deep. Most people would forfeit once their VP started to dwindle. It went without saying that very few were foolish enough to continue until they were in debt.

​And yet, this girl—Kagura Kamino—continued to play even though her VP was deep in the negatives.

​(So this is a one percent Compatibility Rate… this goes beyond simply being bad at games.)

​Then again, she was betting massive amounts every time, so perhaps she was hoping for a single turn of the tide.

​Unfortunately, a turnaround was impossible.

​(This is not a game of luck.)

​The trick lay with the dealer. She was a new subordinate Felicia had bribed just yesterday.

​At the start of the game, the dealer was the one who filled the bag. She did so at a small round table near the main one, with her back turned to Felicia and her opponent.

​During that process, she was signaling the total count to Felicia using sound.

​The dealer would fill the stones in two stages. First, she would drop a handful in, then clink the stones together inside the bag. This represented the tens digit. Two clinks meant “twenty.” Then, she would put the rest in and clink them again. This represented the ones digit. Three clinks meant “three.”

​In that scenario, the total would be twenty-three.

​As long as Felicia was the only one who knew the total, she could use the winning strategy every time. She was guaranteed to win.

​“Now then, Kagura-san, what shall we do? I truly cannot authorize any further debt.”

​“…What should I do?”

​“Let’s see… I have an idea. Why don’t you wager your body as collateral?”

​“Wager my… body?”

​“If you lose the next round, you belong to me. You shall become my slave.”

​“…………”

​Felicia wondered how she would react. Of course, if she refused, she would simply be left with a staggering amount of debt.

​“If you become my slave, your debt becomes mine as well, meaning you will no longer have an obligation to pay it back. In exchange, you will owe me your absolute obedience.”

​“…Will you feed me?”

​“Of course. It is a master’s duty to provide for their servants.”

​This was how Felicia expanded her circle of subordinates. Her goal wasn’t the victory of the Crusade—at least, not primarily. Her true objective was to amass a large number of talented pawns.

​The students of Valhalla Academy were chosen for their gaming aptitude, but they were all brilliant, promising young people. Felicia’s plan was to collect as many of these gifted individuals as possible to serve as her foundation after they eventually entered society.

​Though Felicia was already a noble of significant standing, it was ultimately a status she had inherited from her parents. However, she possessed the ambition to climb much, much higher.

​As for Kagura Kamino, while her game sense was abysmal within the context of the academy, she was likely still competent compared to an average person. The fact that she had been admitted at all meant she likely possessed some other talent. Felicia figured she might as well add her to the collection.

​“Wait a second.”

​A voice cut through the air.

​“I’d like to take over that bet, if that’s alright with you.”

​The Unqualified student—Shuuto Tsuda—raised his hand.

​“My, if it isn’t the Unqualified-sama. What business does a peasant have here?”

​“I told you. I want to play you. The wager is five million VP. If I win, the money goes to Kagura Kamino.”

​The surrounding crowd began to buzz.

​“Wait. Kagura is the one playing. I don’t need sympathy,” Kagura Kamino said, trying to stop him. She evidently had some pride.

​“Kagura. This might be none of my business, but you’re going to lose the next round, too,” Shuuto said bluntly.

​I see. So he has seen through the trick… To challenge me under these circumstances requires a fair bit of nerve.

​Or perhaps he was just a fool. Either way, Felicia decided it would be entertaining to indulge him.

​“Very well. I accept those terms. However, why go to such lengths for her?”

​“Partly because I don’t like people like you who use games to look down on others… but the biggest reason is that you look for an easy win.”

​The smile vanished from Felicia’s face.

​“…Heh. You certainly have a big mouth.”

​Felicia loved to taunt others, but she absolutely loathed being taunted herself.

​“I take it I shall receive five million VP from you when you lose?” she confirmed.

​Internally, she resolved to eventually force him into an even bigger wager and make him her slave.

​Once you are my slave, I shall make you realize exactly where you stand. I will teach you the true hierarchy of this world.

​“Kagura. Sorry, but will you let me handle this? I really think I can win, and I want to try something out.”

​Shuuto was negotiating with Kagura.

​“…If you say so. Kagura doesn’t have any risk. But if you win, you have to buy me dinner.”

​“Haha, deal.”

​Kagura stood up, and Shuuto took her seat.

​“Dealer, please prepare the stones.”

​“As you wish.”

​The dealer bowed respectfully at Felicia’s command.

The dealer prepared the stones.

​The first set of sounds—clink, clink, clink.

The second set of sounds—clink, clink, clink.

​(Thirty-three stones… Since that is a multiple of four plus one, the second player is guaranteed to win.)

​“Let us decide the turn order with a coin toss. You may flip it,” Felicia said, showing him a coin while keeping the stone count in mind.

​“Got it. If it’s heads, I go first?”

​“Yes. If it is tails, I shall go first. Please, toss the coin.”

​Shuuto took the coin from Felicia and flicked it with his thumb. It spun through the air before landing on the table.

​The face showing was heads.

​“Heads. It seems you are going first.”

​At that moment, Felicia was certain of her victory. It was such a simple game. All she had to do now was engage in some idle chatter to make it look like they were actually competing.

​“One, two… I’ll take three,” Shuuto said, pulling the marbles out one by one.

​“Then it is my turn. I shall take one.” Felicia took a single stone.

​“One, two. Okay,”  muttered.

​“One, two. Your turn,” Felicia countered.

​ began to let out a long, thoughtful “Hmmmm.”

​Felicia wondered what there was to think about. To any normal person, this was a game of pure luck. Or had he grown suspicious because she had taken stones twice in a row that conveniently kept the count at a multiple of four?

​“Oh, right. Luxuria.”

​ suddenly called out to Lux Amatsuka.

​(Luxuria? What a strange nickname…)

​“I’m a bit hungry. Could you go grab me some snacks?”

​“What kind do you want?”

​“Something that looks like it’ll help me win.”

​“You got it!” Luxuria chirped and skipped away.

​“What exactly is a ‘snack that looks like it’ll help you win’?” Sakura Tsuda asked him.

​This girl was ’s younger sister, and unlike him, her Compatibility Rate was quite high.

​“You’ll see,”  replied vaguely.

​(What is he doing? He is in the middle of a match with me and yet he is not concentrating at all. How irritating.)

​Felicia felt a surge of annoyance, feeling as though she were being ignored.

​By the time the next turn had passed,  had returned, holding a bag of potato chips.

​“Sorry, I already had a bite,” she said, handing the open bag to .

​“That’s fine. Thanks.”

​ reached in and ate one.

​“Potato chips are your winning snack? I mean, I know you like them, but…”  watched him with a furrowed brow.

​Felicia felt the same way. If you could win just by eating potato chips, no one would ever struggle. Even as a superstitious gesture, using a cheap snack like that was beyond pathetic.

​“Here, a wet wipe,” Luxuria said, handing him one.

​“Thanks, that helps.”

​“Don’t I seem like I’d make a great wife? ♪”

​“I thought you were his slave?”  cut in.

​“You can be a slave and a wife, you know! In fact, isn’t that even more enticing? He’s the person I love most, but I owe him absolute submission. ‘I will do anything for you…’ It’s the perfect Love Slave. Let’s call it an Ai-do for short.”

<T/N: Ai-do (愛奴) is  portmanteau of Ai (Love) and Dorei (Slave). Luxuria is making a pun on the word “Idol,” which is pronounced similarly in Japanese.>

​“You’re just a masochist.”

​“I can be a sadist too, if that’s what he wants!”

​The two of them were giggling and carrying on. There wasn’t a hint of tension between them.

​(If you lose, your precious ‘Darling’ or ‘Big Brother’ is going to become a slave. Do you not feel even a shred of fear?)

​The lack of respect continued to grate on Felicia’s nerves.

​Meanwhile,  finished wiping his hands.

​“All right. My turn,” he said, reaching into the bag.

​“This time, I’ll take just one.”

​A single marble was placed on the table.

​Since the game itself only involved pulling stones, the match continued at a quiet, steady pace.

Shuuto, Luxuria, and  seemed completely indifferent to , but the surrounding gallery was a different story. Most of the spectators watched with bated breath, buzzing with excitement over how the match would conclude.

​“Wonder who’s gonna take this?”

​“Felicia-san, obviously. Did you see her? She absolutely demolished that last girl. Besides, the guy’s an Unqualified. His Compatibility Rate is practically non-existent—way lower than even one percent.”

​“Then why the hell did he challenge her in the first place?”

​“Maybe he’s just an idiot?”

​To the crowd, Felicia’s victory was a foregone conclusion. What they really wanted to see was someone’s life crumble. They were waiting to see Shuuto’s smug expression vanish, replaced by despair once he was buried under a mountain of debt. It was a crowd with truly exquisite taste.

​Finally, the moment they—and Felicia—had been waiting for arrived.

​Five stones remained. It was Shuuto’s turn.

​“I’ll take one,” he said.

​Next was Felicia’s turn.

​“I shall take three.”

​Shuuto’s turn again.

​“I’ll take one.”

​Heh heh. That’s the very last one. This victory is mine.

​“Shuuto Tsuda-san, that was the final stone,” the dealer announced. “Therefore, the winner is Felicia Rut—”

​“Wait a second.” Shuuto cut him off sharply. “Just to be sure, would you mind checking the inside of that pouch?”

​“But… I remember exactly how many stones I put in. There shouldn’t be any mistake,” the dealer insisted.

​Shuuto didn’t budge. “Accidents happen. Maybe you miscounted, or just had a brain fart…”

​“Oh, let him check it,” Felicia said with a thin smile. Watching the weak struggle in such a pathetic, unsightly manner was one of her greatest pleasures. And the look of pure despair when they realized their final “hail mary” had failed? That was the most delicious treat of all. It was solely for the sake of savoring that expression that she signaled the dealer to comply.

​“Very well. If you insist… EH!?” The dealer’s eyes nearly popped out of his head as he peered into the pouch.

​“Is something wrong?” Felicia asked.

​“Um, well… there’s still a stone left. It is Felicia-sama’s turn.”

​“Excuse me!? How many!?”

​“I… I can’t say! The game is still technically in progress.”

​Felicia shot the dealer a murderous glare. You incompetent fool! Your blunder has put me in a corner!

​Regardless, the stone was there. The game continued.

​But just how many are left? I have to be careful… if I mess up now, I could lose instantly. Argh, this is so frustrating!!

​“—Judging by that look on your face, you knew exactly how many stones were in there, didn’t you?”

​“!?”

​Shuuto’s voice snapped Felicia out of her deep thought.

​“W-What are you implying? Are you accusing me of cheating!?”

​The fundamental principle of a Crusade was simple: Cheating is only cheating if you get caught. Furthermore, as long as it didn’t violate the established rules, players were free to do whatever they pleased. The games at Valhalla Academy followed the standard rules of a Crusade, so the same applied here.

​In this situation, since her cheating hadn’t been proven, Felicia was in the clear. However, if she admitted to it now, the narrative would change completely. She couldn’t afford to confess.

​“Whatever. If my hunch is right, there were thirty-four stones in total. By the time my last turn ended, thirty-three had been removed. That means you draw the last one and it’s over. You lose.”

​“!! How could you possibly know that!?”

​“Just a hunch. This game favors the person with the best intuition. Up until a moment ago, your intuition was better than Kagura’s. This time, mine was better than yours. That’s all there is to it.”

​Shuuto gave a slight, lopsided smirk.

​This man… he saw right through my trick and stacked his own cheat on top of it, didn’t he!? Me… he had ME dancing in the palm of his hand!? A mere Unqualified like him…!!

​It was a staggering humiliation. But it was reality. Felicia was left with only one choice. She reached into the bag and pulled out the stone.

​“That is the final stone. The winner: Shuuto Tsuda-san!” the dealer proclaimed.

​The gallery erupted. It made sense—an Unqualified had just toppled a powerhouse like Felicia, the very person who had been ruthlessly trampling over a young girl just moments prior.

​“I will have the wagered amount transferred to you by the end of the day,” Felicia managed to squeeze out.

​“No need. It’d just go to Kagura anyway, and then from Kagura to you. We can just call it even.”

​“…I see.” Felicia nodded, biting her lower lip.

​3

​“Onii-chan, how did you know how many stones were in the bag?”  asked Shuuto once the game had ended and the crowd had dispersed.

​“I didn’t actually know until the dealer said, ‘That was the final stone.’ Up until then, I was just guessing.”

​“Huh? Then why did you insist there was another one?”

​“Well… let me walk you through it. First, I deduced that Felicia-san knew the stone count because she was cheating. I figured that out because both against Kagura and against me, she always took enough stones to ensure the sum of her take and her opponent’s take equaled four. That’s the optimal strategy when you know the total count. She was likely working with the dealer, getting signals for the numbers.”

​“So by keeping the remaining stones at a multiple of four plus one, she was forcing her opponent to always take the final stone?”  summarized. Her high gaming aptitude made her a quick study.

​“Exactly,” Shuuto confirmed. “Which meant Felicia-san would always play to leave exactly one stone for my turn. So, if I could make the count one higher than she expected, I could trap her. If there were two stones left when she thought there was only one, I’d take one, end my turn, and leave her starting her turn with the final stone.”

​“I mean, I guess that makes sense… so, Felicia-san thought there were thirty-three stones, and once thirty-two were gone, it was your turn and she thought she’d won. The dealer thought the same because he intended to put thirty-three in, so he called the game for your loss. Is that right?”

​“Yup.”

​“Okay… but how did you add an extra stone?”

​“They were just tiddlywinks provided by the game room. I just slipped an extra one in.”

​“What!? Onii-chan, you weren’t even holding any stones!”

​“I had Luxuria bring it to me. She hid it inside a bag of potato chips.”

​“!!”

​ whipped her head toward Luxuria, who gave a smug peace sign.

​“Peace! Pretty useful for a slave, aren’t I?”

​“Wait. How did you even tell her to do that? You didn’t have any time to plan!”

​“He just asked for ‘snacks that’ll help me win,’” Luxuria chimed in. “That was all I needed. When it comes to an ‘extra’ item to break a cheat, a stone was the only logical choice♪”

​“No way… You seriously figured it out from just that!?”

​“I figured secretly increasing the stone count would be the easiest way to break that cheat, so it was a pretty easy connection to make,” Luxuria explained.

​“I don’t get it… is this really the level of a Crusade…?”  looked pale, as if she were on the verge of a nervous breakdown. “I don’t mind losing to Onii-chan, but losing to this slutty fallen angel is actually infuriating…”

​“I can’t help it~! I might look like this, but I’m a former Angel, you know? Until I met Shuuto-sama, I’d never lost to a human in my life!”

​“I know that intellectually, but the fact that this lewd, lazy woman is stronger than me is just…!”  looked ready to stomp her feet in frustration. It was rare for her to show this much emotion lately.

​“Heh heh~♪”

​“I mean, ‘lewd’ and ‘lazy’? You’re not even gonna argue? I’m trying to insult you here!”

​“Insulting people because you can’t win at games… so ‘weakling’ of you. It’s actually kinda cute ♡”

​“You’re gonna regret that! One day, I am absolutely going to beat you!”  declared, officially throwing down the gauntlet.

​Meanwhile, Felicia-san—

​She had retreated to her room in the dorms immediately and was currently in the middle of a total meltdown.

​“That Shuuto man… Next time, I am going to absolutely destroy him.”

​She sat at her desk, staring at her smartphone screen with an expression that suggested she was about to grind her teeth into powder. The screen displayed Shuuto’s photo and personal data.

​“Carelessness is a formidable foe. That is the danger of cheating; since you fight on the premise that your cheat works, being ‘meta-ed’ puts you at a sudden, overwhelming disadvantage. Had he been a high-ranking player, I would have had countermeasures, but… I looked down on him because he was an Unqualified. My mistake.”

​She took a long, deep breath and began swiping through the screen.

​“But there won’t be a next time. I will bring him down. First, some off-board tactics. I’ve gathered all the intel I could on him.”

​Felicia had used the students she’d enslaved into her service to do legwork and even hired private investigators to scrape together every bit of information on Shuuto.

​“Heh heh. Once I have him by the throat with his weaknesses, I’ll force him into a match he can’t escape, and then… the hunt begins. I can’t wait to see the despair on his face. Now, let’s see this report… Huh?”

​The document contained the following entry:

​◆ Regarding the Player Suspected to be Shuuto Tsuda

There is a high probability that Shuuto Tsuda is the phantom player, 【SHU】.

​“SHU… Did you say 【SHU】!?”

​The name 【SHU】 was legendary among gamers. He would appear on the release day of various online competitive games, establish a unique strategy within a week, and maintain an undefeated record. Then, exactly one week later, the account would vanish, never to be seen in that game again. He was a literal urban legend.

​Aside from the fact that he was likely Japanese, the public knew nothing about him. However, the investigators Felicia’s conglomerate had employed suggested a high probability that Shuuto was the man behind the myth.

​“That’s impossible. If he were really 【SHU】, why would he be an Unqualified…?”

​He should have been hitting a record-shattering 100% Compatibility Rate if the legends were true. Then again, the chances of her family’s investigators being wrong were incredibly slim.

​“If he truly is 【SHU】… I simply must have him as a pawn. But…”

​Felicia couldn’t think of a single way to defeat 【SHU】. In fact, Felicia herself had encountered him once in an online fighting game, and he had utterly dismantled her. She hadn’t been able to land a single hit. They’d played five rounds, and every single one had been a “Perfect” for him. And that was on the day the game launched.

​Even though Felicia was already ranked among the top players at the time… she hadn’t stood a chance.

​“W-Was I really trading blows with a monster like that…?”

​Suddenly, her loss felt a lot more inevitable. And with that realization, her interest in him flared up with renewed intensity.

​“Even if I cannot best him in a game, there are plenty of ways to ensnare a man. Heh heh heh… better be prepared, Shuuto-sama.”

​4

​Clear blue skies and lush green lands stretched out as far as the eye could see. This was the Celestial World, the realm of the Gods.

​A single woman stood in an outdoor temple flooded with brilliant light. Clasping her hands before a massive statue of a goddess, her eyes closed and head bowed, she looked for all the world like she was offering a deep, pious prayer.

​She looked the part of a faithful devotee, but—

​“Ugh… such a drag.”

​The words that tumbled from her lips were the exact opposite—the height of profanity.

​“Why do I even have to pray? I’m a God, aren’t I? Why am I praying for humans? Haaah—”

​She grumbled and muttered under her breath. Her name was Freya-sama. One of the Gods.

​For a God, her appearance was a bit… disheveled. She had a great figure and was undoubtedly a beauty, but dark circles hung under her eyes from a clear lack of sleep. Her thick hair hadn’t seen a comb in ages, sticking out in random directions. Despite her attitude and appearance, she was actually a very high-ranking entity among the pantheon.

​“Freya-sama.”

​A female Angel approached the irritable goddess. This was a standard Angel, a servant of the Gods, different from the Seven Apostles like Luxuria.

​“A report has come in regarding the Unqualified’s actions at Valhalla Academy.”

​“Ugh. Do I really have to hear this right now?”

​“It is a matter of great importance.”

​“Nooo, that means it’s definitely something I have to hear right now. Troublesome crap, the absolute worst,” Freya-sama groaned, her shoulders slumping.

​“The Unqualified has defeated Felicia Ruth.”

​“Wait, you’re just gonna start talking? Even though I might not want to hear it?”

​“I’ve learned to treat your negative outbursts like white noise and filter them out,” the Angel replied, unfazed. Having served Freya-sama for a long time, she knew exactly how to handle her.

​“Wow. Getting disrespected even by an Angel. Maybe I should just die.”

​“It was an overwhelming victory against Felicia Ruth who is a veteran with a 75% Compatibility Rate. It’s safe to say the Unqualified’s gaming ability is significantly higher than his rate suggests.”

​“Hey, is it really okay to ignore someone when they say they want to die?”

​“Freya-sama, you have said ‘I’m gonna die’ thousands of times, and not once have you actually done it.”

​“So cold,” Freya-sama huffed, shrugging her shoulders. “Ugh… and things are getting messy, too. I knew we shouldn’t have let an Unqualified enroll in the first place.”

​Freya-sama aggressively scrubbed at her hair with both hands.

​“I can’t have anyone winning the Crusade yet. It’ll mess everything up.”

​She might look like a total wreck, but Freya-sama was actually the chief executive of Project Ragnarok—the plan to dispatch the Seven Apostles to play games against humanity and judge their worthiness for survival.

​The plan had been going smoothly until the Unqualified showed up and threw a wrench in the gears. First, the unforeseen loss of Luxuria. Then, Alyssa-sama, who had sided with humanity, had the Unqualified enrolled in Valhalla Academy to have him participate in the Crusade for real.

​“Does Alyssa even realize? Why the Unqualified is ‘Unqualified’ in the first place?”

​“I believe she is aware.” Angel said with an expressionless face.

​“Then she’s doing this on purpose. Uuugh—”

​In truth, even among the Gods, opinions were split on how to proceed with Project Ragnarok. Alyssa-sama was quite sympathetic toward humanity, so she helped them whenever she could without technically breaking the rules. As the person in charge, Freya-sama had to correct the balance if it tipped too far in humanity’s favor.

​“Relay a message to the Apostles. Tell them to crush the Unqualified.”

​“Understood.”

​Freya-sama wanted the Unqualified off the stage as quickly as possible. She had enough headaches to deal with as it was.